MA: In a division with a pair of teams in the Rangers and the Angels that spent the winter dominating headlines, how nice was it to have won the Yoenis Cespedes sweepstakes? Is he aas exciting an everyday player as he seems via highlights for the rest of us?

JL: The A’s did not have an exciting offseason this past winter, but they did shock all of us, I think, when they won the Yoenis Cespedes sweepstakes. The A’s spent most of their time this past offseason trading away some of their most recognizable names in Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill, so getting Cespedes was definitely a nice surprise. In a division that includes two powerhouses in the Rangers and Angels, the A’s are most likely going to fade from contention at some point this season. Cespedes, though, will help ease the pain likely to be felt in Oakland as a result of the club’s mediocrity.

Cespedes will likely experience some growing pains this year, but he’s also going to have some level of success this year in Oakland. He currently leads the team with four home runs and 15 RBIs. The power that Oakland has been craving for is definitely there with Cespedes. The only concern right now is his strikeouts. He’s been punched out 20 times in his first 16 games so far. Still, for a club like Oakland, Cespedes is an All-Star. He is as exciting as he seems to be on highlights.

MA: Billy Beane has the reputation of a “seller.” When his offseason signings occur folks tend to mutter about how the player will be wearing another uniform by the end of July. As an A’s fan do you have a hard time getting attached to players, halfway thinking they might be gone fairly soon?

JL: It’s tough being an A’s fan. Billy Beane definitely has his hands full in Oakland and is usually handcuffed by a limiting payroll. He has to get creative from time to time and that means players will often come and go. Rent-a-players like Matt Holliday are perfect examples as to why it is so hard for A’s fans to get attached to their players. We know that players who actually have talent won’t be in town for very long simply because as they start nearing their peak/potential, Beane has other GMs on speed-dial inquiring about potential trades. One player who will likely see the door at some point before the deadline this year is Bartolo Colon. Colon is off to a fast start and has been extremely manageable, from a financial standpoint, and could get some attention from other ball clubs looking to add a veteran pitcher to their rotation. So the answer to your question is yes. I have an extremely hard time getting attached to players. They would have be locked up for four years in order for me to even think about buying a jersey. Then again, the A’s gave Nick Swisher a five-year extension before trading him the very same year to the White Sox in ’07.

MA: We saw a rather down and out Manny Ramirez on the White Sox to close out 2010. Not a ton was expected but we all hoped to see some Manny magic or at the very least be entertained with some Manny being Manny. Are you looking forward to Manny’s return from suspension and how well do you expect him to perform?

JL: I wasn’t excited when the A’s signed Manny, but after watching him in the spring a few times, I grew interested in finding out what he could do for the green-and-gold. A player like Manny needs no introduction and A’s players (namely, Yoenis Cespedes) would benefit greatly from his veteran experience. He seems to have changed his self-centered ways and seems genuinely interested and grateful, for that matter, to be playing baseball again. Once his suspension is over, I would expect him to be penciled in as Oakland’s full-time DH. Having a guy like Manny in the lineup makes the team instantly better. Having the power-hitting Cespedes right next to Manny in the lineup makes Oakland an even better offensive unit.

His best days are definitely behind him, but Manny could potentially provide some kind of spark for the Athletics this year. I’m not talking about 30 HR and 100+RBIs, but rather 10 HR and 50 RBIs or so. That, in my mind, would be enough.

For more Oakland Athletics related news visit SwinginAs.com.

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David Wright, the other half of that Mets duo that were certain to be the backbone of the team for a long, long time will be missing an indefinite amount of time with a pinky fracture. All bones are important. All bones in the hand are really important to hitters, but I’m sure when you have to miss time you really hope it’s for something a bit more masculine.

The season is already a week old. If you’re like me and have a good memory you may recall an interesting thing or two that happened in the first few games of the season. Or you may be like my sister who has a tendency to forget the first word of a sentence before she has time to end it. Good, bad, and memories that fall somewhere in between would nonetheless do well to check out Ben Lindbergh’s new things from week one. There are gifs!

Ever wonder what it would be like to play for the Baltimore Orioles? Robert Andino highly suggests you don’t find out. Looks fun, right?

Chipper Jones started off his farewell tour and return from the DL in style. Here’s to hoping Chipper has a productive and successful final season.

I’m going to be honest, I really kind of wanted Yoenis Cespedes in a White Sox uniform. Nobody knew for sure how he’d perform but it was kind of assumed he’d be exciting based on those promotional videos of his. And let’s face it, if Gordon Beckham and Jason Heyward keep developing in the wrong direction I’m about to be in serious need of replacement man-crushes. When he’s not mashing balls into the Oakland night, he’s making sound PR decisions and keeping the heck out of the whole Ozzie/Castro catastrophe. I’m telling you, he seems like a winner!

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Kenny has been unable to do much of anything this off-season, all of us have surely noticed that. What I didn’t notice is that “much of anything” is in reality, “absolutely nothing.” The MLB Network program Clubhouse Confidential mentioned yesterday that the White Sox are MLBs foremost hand-sitters this winter, having spent $0 in free agency. Considering the splash made last winter, and the subsequent failure to live up to expectations, I don’t suppose this should come as a surprise. Despite the complaints of so many Sox fans who want to see things fixed, it may even be a step in the right direction. Unless you’re Bugs Bunny with a geographically inaccurate destination of China, you can’t get anywhere by digging yourself further into the hole.

Now if it’s alright with the fine folks in Cuba, I’d appreciate it if the next defector waited a year to make a break for it so that maybe we have a dollar or two we can toss in their direction.